The Wisconsin Association of Campground Owners’ (WACO) annual conference and tradeshow hosted several educational sessions on Wednesday as it kicked off its annual event in Stevens Point, Wis.
Lori Severson, executive director of the association, noted to Woodall’s Campground Magazine (WCM), that the event has been marked by “amazing energy so far” with plenty of new owners and first-time attendees enjoying the conference.
Severson told WCM that the association had sold 193 booths for the association’s tradeshow.
WACO hosted its Welcome Reception late Wednesday afternoon, which featured a “Skill Exchange,” where attendees rotated to different tables and learned from industry experts on a variety of topics ranging from credit card processing to exit planning, camp store revenue and more.
WACO’s annual conference is well-known for its focus on educational sessions, with more than 50 set to be hosted this week.
Customer Interaction and Safety Session
WCM took in a session taught by Andrew Nussbaum, a tourism development specialist with Travel Wisconsin, who highlighted the importance of maintaining great customer service. He noted to park owners that they need to operate in a manner that allows employees to voice their concerns and bring in new ideas.
Nussbaum highlighted the fact that it is important for parks to operate as a team and that it will help everyone when it comes to working with guests.
He pivoted into customer behavior and noted that rudeness and indifference by staff members is the No. 1 reason customers won’t return to a business. Nussbaum then highlighted key things every business needs to consider when dealing with customers.
They are:
- The customer is never an interruption
- Greet every customer with a friendly smile
- Call customers by name
- Remember, you are the business
- Never argue with a customer
- Never say “I don’t know” and end there
- The customer pays your wages
- State things in a positive way
- Brighten every customer’s day
- Always go the extra mile
“When hiring employees, it is important to look at their attitude,” Nussbaum noted. “I can train an employee to do tasks, but an attitude is already set.”
Nussbaum also explored risk factors that park owners need to be aware of as they work to protect campers.
Risk factors to assess include:
- Natural hazards
- Wildlife hazards
- Facilities
- The human factor, such as unsupervised children, intoxicated adults, theft, crime, etc.
- Risks associated with events & festivals
- Being prepared for mass casualty events or things that can cause property damage
Nussbaum said that it is important for park owners to have proper emergency protocols in place and that employees know what to do in an emergency.
Thursday at the Conference
Along with a full day of educational sessions, today WACO will be hosting its Legislative Lunch & Learn session focused on providing legislative updates from key state officials.
Later today, WACO will be hosting an auction for its political action fund.
There is always a ton to keep track of, and App My Community has built a conference app that will help attendees navigate all the events and activities planned for the conference.
With the conference app, attendees can:
- View the full schedule of sessions and events
- Favorite sessions and receive reminders before they start
- Access the tradeshow floor map
- Browse the list of exhibitors and speakers
- Receive important conference updates through push notifications
To learn more and register as a park owner, click here.
To read the event’s full agenda, click here.
